Stay True

Chapter 2

Clara stretched and sat up slowly. She was not quite fully awake, and her first thoughts were that she was going to be late and the horses must have been positively starving. Then she began to register the rich room around her, and her eyes widened in awe.

The bed was a beautiful four-poster, and the covers were a deep, rich purple with gold embroidery. The canopy was of a similar make, though the fabric was more transparent. There were many small gold throw pillows scattered about with the kingdom's royal crest stamped on them in a violent purple. Clara had at least three gold pillows beneath her head as well.

She crawled to the end of the bed to see the room better. It was a beautiful sight. There were large, stained-glass windows that made the room full of lovely warm sunlight, and Clara saw curtains to cover them when necessary. There was a window seat, padded with golden cushions, and several more of the gold pillows with the crest. I wonder...

Next, she saw the wardrobe. As tall as her and at least twice as wide and deep as she, Clara could only begin to imagine the gowns it held. Next to the wardrobe was a screen. On the screen, there were paintings of women gallivanting about in the streets with parasols and long, trailing dresses.

Clara got out of bed to examine the screen more closely, and in doing so she realized that she was not in her threadbare nightgown that barely reached her shins, but a silky, white, and royal nightgown that tickled her bare toes.

She walked slowly to the screen, savoring the feeling of smooth, polished wood on her feet. Behind the screen, there was a wooden washtub large enough for Clara to stretch her legs in, and several towels. As she turned around, she saw that there were many pairs of shoes neatly lined up at the foot of her bed, on top of a flat wooden trunk. She wondered again where she was.

It could not be...Clara pushed the thought from her mind. No way! That just is not possible! Or is it...

Clara tried to continue examining the room. There was also a dresser and another large chest, but Clara did not bother to look at what was inside. She suddenly had to know, without a doubt, where she was!

There was only one way to find out. Clara slowly walked to the window and tentatively peeked out. There was a bustling courtyard, with stalls and merchants, and someone in the stocks. Clara watched, fascinated, for a few moments, shuddering every time a rotten vegetable hit its mark. There was-she squealed in delight-a gigantic stable forming the north corner, and along the rest of the walls were servants, almost in synchronization, running back and forth with their charges' things. In the very center, there was a huge fountain, and there were peasants from the city washing their clothes in it.

Beyond the courtyard was the moat, and just beyond that a small town. Along the outskirts of the town-Clara's breath caught in her throat. There was a forest, and she recognized it. There was a very rare tree that only grew in that forest, distinctive for its star-shaped top. The forest was the Forest of Feyaldene, and it bordered Clara's village as well as the castle. There were stories at the village that the forest led all the way to the city, but Clara had always dismissed them as rumors. To think that all those "rumors" were true! She must have been at the castle. There was no other explanation for the things she was seeing.

Clara did not even realize that she had climbed up, kneeling, barely on the edge of the window seat in an effort to better absorb everything, until she heard the door creak open behind her. She whipped around, and in her haste, fell flat on her behind on the hard ground.

*****

Colin stared at the door. What if she is not awake yet? Will I wake her? What if she is...dressing? He winced. I hope not. Should I knock? No, best just to walk in. That way, if she is still asleep I will not wake her.